Explosives stolen from tunnel 'could cause massive damage'

Owen Jacques is an award-winning investigative journalist from Mackay, now based on the Sunshine Coast as APN Australian Regional Media’s Online News Editor. He has a strong background reporting on politics, business and breaking news. Owen has also specialised in resources reporting, which included a successful campaign to fight 100% fly-in, fly-out mining in rural Queensland towns.

POLICE are yet to find the thieves who stole powerful explosives and detonators from a Brisbane tunnel development, as one expert warns the material could cause a massive amount of damage.

The ammunition including "electronic detonators and high explosives" was snatched after being loaded into rock walls inside the Legacy Way tunnel project earlier this month.

Authorities are still investigating and expect no immediate danger to the public.

University of Queensland Professor David Cliff is more concerned - similar explosives are placed on mine sites to disrupt huge volumes of stone and dirt.

No explosives have ever been stolen once loaded into a "blast hole" on a mine site, although when any explosive material is unaccounted for, lost or suspected stolen, it is immediately reported to police.

Although police would not reveal the amount or type of charges that were stolen, Prof Cliff said it was still "quite worrying".

"High-powered explosives have a capacity for a great deal of harm," he said.

"What (the thieves) will use it for I don't know, but there is no positive thing about it.

"It could be used for blowing up an ATM to get the money out of it."

On mine sites, these explosive laden areas are painstakingly cleared and watched with only explosive experts allowed near the area.

In this case, it is understood that people without security clearance were still allowed near the explosives.

Queensland Police declined to discuss the progress of its investigation.